Academic Advising & Registration

Roles and Responsibilities of Academic Advisors

Academic advising is a cooperative effort between the advisor, other program and related faculty, and the Student Support Services counselor. Academic advising is designed to assist the college’s students in succeeding academically, recognizing the importance of student decision-making and sees others as support for the students’ personal goals and responsibilities.

Retention and support of students are critical during the first year of students’ enrollment at the institution and should continue throughout students’ educational programs. Students’ instructors and advisors have specific responsibilities for the provision of the services related to counseling and advising.

The advisors’ role in the student-centered advisement model at the college is to work cooperatively with the Student Support Services counselor and the Student Success Center to provide ongoing assistance to students. The advisor receives appropriate training in the college delivery model to be able to facilitate students in their progress toward reaching their educational goals.

The advisor has responsibilities in three major areas: academic support, registration, and graduation.

Academic Support

Advisors perform the following functions:

Help students clarify their program choices and provide information to students.

Upon receiving an application, may provide personal contact that includes the advisor name and role. Communication may be by letter, note, phone call, or email to students. Advisors may make additional mid-term contact regarding course scheduling and registration.

Are accessible.

Meet with students twice the first semester (once within the first three weeks and again before registration) and at least once each semester after that.

Assist new students in enrollment and coordinate the registration of continuing students.

Work collaboratively with Developmental Studies advisors to ensure students register for the appropriate developmental courses.

Academic Planning

Once students have selected their program of study, they are assigned an academic advisor. Student Services will register new students. After the first semester, an assigned advisor will assist students with planning a schedule. Students requiring developmental coursework are advised to see developmental advisors for assistance with developmental course registration.

Students should be encouraged to plan for the registration process. Students are required to set up appointments to meet their academic advisor during the advertised advising weeks. There is an advising hold placed on each returning student that will be removed by the advisor once they have advised the student. Advisors are readily available to plan student’s academic progress during the advertised advising weeks or the final registration period. Students may see an advisor in person by visiting the Student Success Center on either campus or make contact by phone or email.

Graduation

Advisors perform the following functions:

Assist students in reviewing their records of credits completed toward their certificate, diploma, or degree, and graduation. Provide students with student employment services information at that time.

Work with Student Services to have a system of providing an exit interview for all students near program completion to discuss jobs/career choices, goals, or additional training as desired.

Direct students to schedule the Career Readiness Certificate exam (CRC).

The college holds a commencement exercise at the end of the spring semester to award degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The specific date for commencement is listed in the college calendar. All students receiving degrees, diplomas, and certificates are expected to attend commencement exercises. Students should see their advisor or Student Services for a “Graduation Request” form the semester before they plan to graduate. For inclusion in the graduation process, students must submit a “Graduation Request” form to Student Services by the posted deadline each year.

Self-Service

Self-Service is a one-stop shop for student planning, financial aid, grades, tax information, and billing statements. Students must use Self-Service to get their grades after each semester. All students have issued to them a Self-Service account when they apply. Students can access Self-Service by clicking on the Student Portal tab found on the College’s homepage. If you have technical questions about Self-Service, create a support ticket.

The following are tabs students can access through Self-Service:

Student Planning - enables students to search and plan for courses, register for classes, communicate with advisors and more.

Financial Aid - enables students to check progress, link to forms, and to a financial aid advisor.

Grades - enables students to view their grades for previous semesters and midterm grades for the current semester.

Registration

Students will then register themselves, in Self Service, during the advertised priority registration weeks. Students are strongly encouraged to register during priority registration for two reasons. First, if there is a high demand for a particular course, it is much easier to open an additional section for priority registration. Second, classes are much less likely to be full, so the chances that students will get precisely the schedule they want are significantly improved.

If students are on financial aid, their records in Self Service should indicate the award. If unavailable in Self Service, students need to return to the Financial Aid Office.

Deregistration

Until they pay their fees, have been awarded financial aid, or the next deregistration occurs, a student’s registration ensures their spot in a class. Deregistration is a process performed by the Registrar that removes students from courses who have not paid their tuition and fees or made arrangements with financial aid to pay tuition and fees. This removal occurs at the following times each semester: the end of registration (the day before the new semester begins), and at the end of each day during the drop/add period. Students must pay their fees before the next deregistration is scheduled, or they have to start the registration process over again and may not get the courses for which they had first registered. Students on financial aid have their tuition and fees automatically deducted from their award, so failure to pay is not an issue.

Course Numbering

Courses are numbered by the following system:

Developmental studies courses are indicated by a three-letter prefix, and numbers range from 001-099. Developmental studies courses do not earn academic credit.

A three-letter prefix and numbers ranging from 110-199 or 210-299 denote courses in A.A., A.G.E., A.S., and A.A.S. degrees.

A three-letter prefix and numbers ranging from 100-109 or 200-209 denote diploma courses.

A four-letter prefix and numbers ranging from 2000-4000 denote continuing education courses beyond the high school level.

Schedule Changes and Drop/Adds

Students are expected to plan their schedules with the assistance of their advisors. All changes, including drops, adds, or section changes, must be adjusted during the drop/add period the first five (5) school days of the fall and spring semesters and the first three (3) school days of the summer semester. Students with changes in scheduling can seek assistance in the Student Success Center on either campus.

The following additional guidelines apply:

Students may withdraw from a class up until the seventy-five percent (75%) point of the semester without penalty.

No student will be allowed to withdraw from any class after the seventy-five percent (75%) point or after the course has ended.

Students are not allowed to change a course initially taken for credit to audit status after the drop/add period.

Students who stop attending a course at any point in the semester but do not officially drop may receive an “F” in that course.

All veterans should contact the advisor for Veteran Affairs in Student Services before dropping any course.

Distance Learning

Distance Learning at Edgecombe Community College (ECC) includes those classes that do not require classroom attendance making them available for individuals to take anytime and anywhere. Courses include curriculum college-credit courses, Continuing Education non-credit courses, and the online GED/Adult High School Diploma program. The distance learning classes are best suited for mature, self-motivated students who have adequate study skills and do not need to be reminded to study and complete their assignments. Student support services, such as the library, student services, and financial aid, are available without being on campus. Changing lives with quality instruction and genuine concern from instructors is an integral part of Distance Learning at ECC.

Available Courses/Programs

Curriculum Courses

Three types of distance learning curriculum courses are offered at the college: online courses, hybrid courses, and web-enhanced courses.

Online

Students may take online courses anytime and anywhere they have access to the Internet. Classroom attendance is not required. The online curriculum classes compare to traditional classroom courses in that they earn the same credit, have the same quality and standards, are fully accredited, and have the same course objectives.

Hybrid

Hybrid courses combine the traditional classroom and the Internet. By ECC’s definition, a hybrid class meets at least 51% online and no more than 49% face-to-face. Therefore, depending on the instructor, students must meet on campus at certain times during the semester and most lessons are completed online. As with online classes, hybrid courses earn the same credit and have the same quality and standards as face-to-face courses. Likewise, support services are available online for hybrid students.

Web-Enhanced

Web-enhanced courses combine the traditional classroom and the Internet similar to hybrid classes. By ECC’s definition, a web-enhanced course meets at least 51% face-to-face and no more than 49% online. Therefore, depending on the instructor, students will meet the majority of the class on campus during the semester with the remainder being completed online. As with online or hybrid delivery, web-enhanced courses earn the same credit and have the same quality and standards as face-to-face courses. Likewise, support services are available online for students taking web-enhanced courses.

A schedule of curriculum course offerings including online, hybrid, and web-enhanced can be found by clicking on “Find Classes” on the Academics menu on the ECC home page.

Online Degree Programs

Edgecombe Community College has seven (7) online degree programs: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Accounting, Business Administration, Early Childhood, Geospatial Technology, and Health Information Technology. Students never have to come on campus to receive a degree in these programs; the courses are entirely online.

ED2GO

The Ed2Go non-credit online courses are informative, fun, convenient, and highly interactive. These courses are project-oriented and include lessons, quizzes, hands-on assignments, discussion areas (chat rooms), and supplementary links. All classes run for six weeks with a two-week grace period after the end.

These courses begin every month and can be completed from the home or office during the day or evening. Twenty-four (24) contact hours in length, they generate 2.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). These courses require Internet access, email, and a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. The classes are approved for teacher renewal. Upon successful completion of a course, students receive an official certificate issued by the Division of Corporate and Community Development. For further information, interested persons should call (252) 823-5166, ext. 357.

GED/Adult High School Online

Students can prepare for the GED exam or the Adult High School Diploma at home, using the Internet. Both programs are free of charge and are fully accredited.

An on-campus orientation is strongly suggested for the online Adult High School Diploma program. Prospective GED students need to visit the Learning Lab on the Tarboro or Rocky Mount campus to take a placement test and to take the actual GED Test.

Windows 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP are required.

For more information on the GED/Adult High School Diploma Online program, interested persons should call (252) 823-5166, ext. 229.

Characteristics of Successful Distance Learning Students

Extensive research has shown that there are certain qualities distance learning students should have to perform well in this type of instruction. Successful distance learning students:

Are mature, self-directed, and goal-oriented.

Are disciplined and organized.

Are dependable and responsible.

Know how to work independently and keep up with assignments.

Have the necessary college reading and writing skill levels.

Can think critically and solve problems.

Have completed the necessary prerequisites for the course.

Know basic word processing.

Have the required computer hardware and necessary software.

Are familiar with sending and receiving email.

Distance learning students should be willing to participate in a course orientation session, when applicable; begin course activities within the first week of the course; on a routine basis set aside an adequate amount of time for study, and contact the course instructor promptly with questions about aspects of the course.

Computer Requirements

Students must have easy access to a Microsoft Windows computer connected to the Internet, a Web browser such as Netscape Navigator/Communicator, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, an email address, and the Microsoft Word processing software. Some online classes may also require Microsoft PowerPoint.

Verify you can access login with your UserID (which is the same as your UserID you have for your MyEdge email account). The UserID is your first initial, last name month & day you were born. Example: Joe Smith born on August 2 would be jsmith0802. Your default password is the last six digits of your social security number. Example: If your SSN is 123-45-6789, your password would be 456789.

Once logged in, you will be forced to change this password. First, enter your UserID and your password (last six digits of your SSN). You will be prompted to enter a new password. The new password must be between six and nine characters and contain both letters and numbers. Submit & logout. Please log back into Self Service to make sure your new password is working. Note: If you ever want to change your password, go to the EdgeID link below.

Once your Self Service login is working (with the new password), you must go to the following link to activate and enroll your ID and password: https://edgeid.edgecombe.edu. The activation must be done by everyone (even those who already had a Self Service/Webadvisor account).

To activate your UserID/Password, click on “Enroll.”

Enter your UserID and password (you just created in Self Service).

You will be prompted to answer three security questions. Enter your answers. Answers to security questions are case sensitive.

Moodle Support/Report Problems

Tutorial Support

Edgecombe Community College also offers online tutorial support through Smarthinking, a leading provider of online tutoring and academic support. The free software offers live tutoring anytime, from anywhere, 24/7. Students are provided a link to Smarthinking in their Moodle course.

Work-Based Learning

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is designed to give students enrolled in selected programs in the college an opportunity to elect to work on a job relevant to their major while earning credit toward their degree. This combination of classroom instruction with practical, related work experience provides numerous benefits to participating students.

WBL students may work one (1) or two (2) semesters in part-time or full-time jobs with employers selected or approved by the college depending on their program of study. Academic credit is given for the learning gained during the WBL work period. Students are contacted or visited periodically by their WBL or program instructor/coordinator and receive on-the-job supervision from their employer. If interested, contact your program advisor or the WBL Coordinator at (252) 823-5166, ext. 164.

Eligibility

All students enrolled in programs that require or offer the elective option of Work-based Learning (WBL) for academic credit and who have completed a minimum of nine (9) credit hours within the appropriate program of study may be eligible to enter the Work-based Learning program. Students must meet the following conditions:

Possess the skills to be a credible employee.

Be at least seventeen (17) years of age, subject to the rules and regulations of the NC Department of Labor Youth Employment Laws, and the US Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act.

Have a minimum academic standing of two-point-zero grade point average (2.0 GPA).

Be approved by the WBL coordinator and their faculty advisor.

Be in an eligible program of study.

Have a WBL work site (volunteer or paid) that relates to their major.

Not be supervised by a family member.

Take no more than four (4) WBL courses in a selected major.

Curriculum Program Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in a curriculum program to participate in a work-based learning activity. Curriculum students cannot be “tuition exempted.” Students in the following academic programs may not participate in WBL:

Career & College Promise Students

Special Credit Students

Associate in General Education Students

Gifted and Mature Students (under 16 years of age)

Programs in a Correctional Setting (23 NCAC 02E.0403)(c)

Application Procedure

Interested students should obtain an application from their faculty advisor or the Work-Based Learning Office. The application should be approved and signed by their faculty advisor then turned into the WBL office. If students are accepted into the WBL program, the WBL coordinator or faculty advisor makes suggestions for locating employment. It is the student’s responsibility to locate employment, and it is the job of the WBL coordinator to approve the employment site. In some cases, students may already be employed appropriately and may bring this employment to the attention of the faculty advisor and the WBL coordinator.

Students interested in Work-Based Learning are encouraged to contact the WBL office before the start of the semester. Information is also available through faculty advisors and the Student Services Department.

Orientation

All students enrolled in Work-Based Learning classes are required to attend a mandatory orientation session. During orientation, students will be given instructions and explanations regarding the student workbook, rules, and regulations of the Work-Based Learning Program. Work-Based Learning workbooks should be purchased from the bookstore before attending orientation. Students are required to complete and return the remaining pages of the workbook throughout the semester at times that are designated at orientation. The completed workbook is due at the end of the semester for grading.

Academic Credit

One (1) credit hour is awarded for the satisfactory completion of one-hundred-sixty (160) contact hours or ten (10) hours worked per week during a sixteen (16) week period. Two (2) credit hours are awarded for the satisfactory completion of three-hundred-twenty (320) contact hours or twenty (20) hours worked per week during a sixteen (16) week period. Students must also take a corequisite one (1) contact hour seminar course in addition to their one (1) or two (2) SHC work experience course. Depending upon the curriculum, WBL students may earn up to six (6) semester hours of Work-Based Learning credit toward their degree or diploma requirements.

A major portion of the final grade is based on the employer evaluation of students’ work performance and the degree to which measurable learning objectives are accomplished each WBL period, as well as students’ ability to meet deadlines promptly. Each approved curriculum offering Work-Based Learning as an elective designates the total credit hours that may be applied toward graduation.

Explanation of Class Placement

Each level of Work-Based Learning has two (2) choices for classes, a one (1) credit hour course or a two (2) credit hour course, either of which must be taken with a corequisite one (1) credit hour seminar course. Students must take courses in order of levels. The levels and corresponding course information are as follows: